How Cudahy is run
Who runs Cudahy, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Cudahy's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Cudahy
A city manager hired by the council runs the city day to day. The council sets policy, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
- $350 a month car allowance
- $15,000 a year city contribution to his 457 retirement savings plan
- City-paid term life insurance with a $1 million death benefit
- Six months' pay and benefits as severance if fired without cause
- Three-year term, to January 14, 2029
- Auto allowance of $375 a month for each council member
Cudahy city staff
The adopted budget lists salary costs by department but no position count. Pay ranges for each job title are set by council resolution (Salary Plan, Resolution No. 24-14, posted on the city site). We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Cudahy in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
The city's own outlook
The city's June 2026 budget report says general fund spending has exceeded recurring revenue, with significant deficits in FY2022-23 and FY2023-24. The FY2026-27 budget is balanced with $1,050,000 of one-time money from a fund exchange. Staff say this gap carries over to FY2027-28 and is expected to grow, and they plan to bring a fiscal sustainability plan during FY2026-27. City of Cudahy · Jun 16, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $4.5M (2024-06-30). City of Cudahy
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Where the money comes from and goes
The general fund only: the city's everyday money for FY2026-27.
Comes from
- Motor vehicle in-lieu fees (state)$3.9M · 27%
- Sales tax$2.7M · 18%
- Utility users tax$1.5M · 11%
- Cannabis (urban farming) operating fees$1.4M · 9%
- One-time transfer from fund exchange$1.1M · 7%
- Franchise fees$954,932 · 7%
- Parking fines$550,000 · 4%
- Property tax (general fund share)$470,196 · 3%
- Other (permits, licenses, transfers, interest, fees)$2.2M · 15%
Goes to (FY2026-27)
- Police (Los Angeles County Sheriff contract)$5M · 34%
- Human Resources (includes CalPERS unfunded liability payments)$1.8M · 12%
- Finance$1.3M · 9%
- Recreation$979,660 · 7%
- Parks maintenance$773,695 · 5%
- City Manager$587,706 · 4%
- City Attorney$520,000 · 4%
- Other (planning, building, enforcement, engineering, clerk, council, facilities)$3.7M · 26%
Who provides your services
Not everything in Cudahy is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceContractorLos Angeles County Sheriff's Department (East Los Angeles Station)Under contract since 2010.City of Cudahy
- Animal controlContractorLos Angeles County Department of Animal Care and ControlCity of Cudahy
- Street sweepingContractorNationwide Environmental ServicesCity of Cudahy
- ParksThe cityCity of Cudahy Public WorksCity of Cudahy
- Recreation and community eventsThe cityCity of Cudahy Community ServicesCity of Cudahy
- LibraryThe countyLA County Library (Cudahy Library)LA County Library
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | Yucca ValleyCA | CudahyCA | Laguna BeachCA | American CanyonCA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 21,798 | 22,234 | 22,440 | 22,619 |
| Top administrator's base pay | $279,774 | $245,000 | $337,094 | $303,000 |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | $14,798 | Not confirmed | $11,400 |
| General fund per resident | $1,032 | $657 | $4,503 | $1,511 |
| Debt per resident | $828 | $229 | $1,102 | $447 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $272 | $195 | $3,721 | $464 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | — | 15.9 | 5.4 |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how). Yucca Valley and Cudahy and American Canyon pays another agency for police or fire, so its own staff count is lower.
What Cudahy publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- No: Audited financial report filed on timeThe newest audited statements posted are for FY2023-24. An August 2026 staff report says the FY2024-25 audit was still outstanding. City of Cudahy
- Yes: City manager's contract findable onlineThe Lopez contract is in the Nov. 18, 2025 agenda packet. The prior manager's contract and amendments are on the City Manager page. City of Cudahy · Nov 18, 2025
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineApproved minutes list each member's aye, no, absent or abstain vote. City of Cudahy
- Yes: Council pay stated in a public documentThe adopted budget states council pay of $1,233.18 a month under Ordinance No. 756, plus a $375 auto allowance. City of Cudahy · Jun 16, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay published City of Cudahy
Questions to ask your council
- The FY2026-27 budget closes its gap with a one-time $1,050,000 fund exchange, and staff say that gap carries into FY2027-28. Which recurring cuts or revenues will close it?
- The general fund balance fell $4.11 million in FY2023-24, and the FY2024-25 audit was still not finished in August 2026. When will residents see audited results for FY2024-25 and FY2025-26?
- The Sheriff's contract is $4.96 million of the $14.60 million general fund budget. How does the council weigh deputy staffing against the budget gap?
- The general fund had $4.48 million unassigned on June 30, 2024, and we found no adopted minimum reserve target. Will the council set one?
Help decide what comes next
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Every number here was checked by hand against the linked document. Cities publish on different schedules, so years differ between sections; each figure says which year it describes. Spotted something wrong or out of date?
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